On the stool directly opposite Zhao Xiong, a military general with a helmet and armor sat there with his head bowed, as if he was dozing.

He estimated that it must be Zhang Bo of the Xunbing Yamen, Zhang Jiang.

Probably sensing that someone was looking at him, Zhang Bo quietly raised his head, and when he realized that it was Zhao Xiong looking at him, he grinned secretly, and then lowered his head and closed his eyes to recuperate.

Zhao Xiong noticed it this time, there was still an empty chair on the right hand, Zhao Xiong estimated that it was reserved for a certain official in the county yamen, and Jiucheng was the main bookkeeper Yu Haifeng.

It's just that Yu Haifeng, the main bookkeeper, entered the shed and hurried out again.

Sitting on his left hand side was Zhang Guo, the ambassador of the Department of Taxation who he had met yesterday.

Zhang Guo closed his eyes and was twisting his goatee and listening to the noise of gongs and drums outside, enjoying it very much.

It may be that he felt a gaze sweeping over, opened his eyes slightly, and saw that it was Zhao Xiong who suddenly put down his hand, arched his hand and said:

"Master Yu doesn't seem to be going to participate, it's good that Lord Zhao moves forward, and there is still a gate official behind him who has no place to sit!"

Zhao Xiong followed Zhang Guo's gaze to the gate of the bamboo shed, and there was a young gate official standing at the door, because there was no seat, he stood at the door and was trembling by the wind.

Zhao Xiong wondered how these little officials were arranged, and he counted them on the mule.

Today, a total of 27 officials came to worship, and there were only 26 chairs in the big bamboo shed.

Zhang Guo lowered his voice and said, "Master Kong offended the above one last year!" ”

Zhao Xiong turned around and saw that across a chair was Ma Kui of Yixian County, Ma Kui was chatting with Director Feng who was sitting on the upper hand.

County Cheng Ma Kui is one of the five major families in Yi County, Zhao Xiong's subordinate patrol Ma Jinzhong, and Han Zhuang Gate Yamen official Ma Jinchun, are the distant branches of their family.

The five major families in Yi County, Chen, Ma, Su, Kong, and Zhao, among which Zhao Xiong's Zhao clan ranks last.

Zhao and Ma are in the south of the city, the other is in the north of the city, and the relationship has always been bad.

In the past three years, the grain trade on the Grand Canal has shrunk a lot, and Zhao Xiong naturally knows this.

Thinking of this, Zhao Xiong smiled and left his seat, sitting in the position of Yu Haifeng, the main bookkeeper.

He also waved to the young man at the door, patted the stool he had sat on and asked him to come over.

The young man sat down tremblingly, arched his hand and whispered: "Kong Rong has thanked Lord Zhao, thanked Lord Zhang."

"You are a child of the Kong family!" Zhao Xiong asked.

"Yes, I'm from the fifth room!" Kong Rong replied.

Zhao Xiong sighed in his heart, the five rooms and seven generations of the Kong family's single heir Ding withered, and he was the most unoptimistic one of the Kong family.

As soon as he arrived at noon, Director Feng, who was in charge of managing the canal, led the officials to line up according to their status and rank, and walked out of the bamboo shed.

The first is Feng in charge, and the second is Zhao Xiong, which symbolizes the sovereignty of Hanzhuang, of course, it can't be allowed.

The third is Cheng Ma Kui of Yixian County, who is also an official, and Ma Kui is well versed in the unspoken rules of officialdom.

He was also not interested in running to Hanzhuang to fight with Zhao Xiong, after all, Hanzhuang was Zhao Xiong's home field.

In the cold wind on the Grand Canal, a whip was put and three incense sticks were placed, and the wise and martial Zhao Xiong announced that the sealing ceremony began.

Outside the wharf, you are three circles outside the three circles, surrounded by the people watching the trouble, and outside the bamboo shed, there are hundreds of officials and officials.

On the third floor of Dafeng Restaurant, An Dehai sat by the window of the private room and watched the sealing ceremony on the wharf dam.

While talking about some of the customs of Hanzhuang, Nie Baihu took out another one from his arms, and handed it over to An Dehai more than a foot long.

"Lord An, this is made by the yellow hair, which is better than what we Dakang imitated!" As he spoke, he shook the clairtelescope in his hand.

An Dehai played with the clairvoyant mirror, the round lens and the brass tube are very tight, workmanship! Typical product of the South Seas.

He had seen this thing in the little prince before, and he also looked at the dock with a clairvoyant mirror, and smiled for the first time.

The sealing ceremony is about to begin, and the river officials standing under the colorful high platform built by the bamboo building are no longer young.

He has a white beard, but he has crane hair and a childish face, and he is in good spirits.

But he pulled up an iron horn and put it to his mouth, shouting towards the north of the Grand Canal: "Seal the sluice gates, ......"!

Floating over the entire Hanzhuang Gate, it lasts for a long time.

Another shout: "Wizard please come to the stage"!

Zhao Xiong looked up at the sky, and the sky was gloomy and not snowing.

The high places of the whole town on the bank of the river bank are full of dense crowds, and the sacrificial high platform built by the bamboo building is left and right, and suddenly the drums are ringing in unison, the firecrackers are shaking the sky, and the voices of the people are boiling.

Zuo Liangyu and Liu Sheng led dozens of strong men and more than a dozen errand soldiers from the county to maintain order along the line.

Jiang Zhiyong, the little official who ran before and after, followed Jiang Zhong, and then invited a wizard wearing a mask of gods and ghosts to ascend to the high altar.

The people at the scene cheered at the mage wearing the mask of gods and ghosts, and the sorcerer also greeted the people with open arms.

With the sound of drums, several porters who were carrying grain on the dock came out from under the high platform and stood in line neatly.

These bearers are all big men.

They were shirtless, with straw sandals on their feet, and their waists straightened.

Then, under the command of the burly captain, they carried more than 100 catties of yellow straw grain bags one by one, and danced rhythmically there, a unique dance on the dock,

The shirtless men staggered, as if carrying food bales on the bridge between the ship and the dock, carrying them back and forth, shaking people from person to person, jumping and walking to the beat of the drum.

Zhao Xiong saw a few old ladies in the crowd who were sewing and mending on the dock eating melon seeds, laughing at each other and judging each other.

These aunts can also earn more than a dozen copper plates a day, and Zhao Xiaodonkey told him that they not only sew and mend, but also have another income.

It is every night, while there is no one, secretly sweep the missing grain on the floor.

What's more, they secretly made an agreement with the porter and the bearer of the grain.

The porters, when carrying the last grain, secretly pierced the grain bag, carried it all the way, and the grain was sprinkled on the ground.

The guards also knew that they didn't want to provoke the anger of the people, so they turned a blind eye and acquiesced for a long time, which made many people live.

Of course, the gang of officials guarding the dock still have to charge a certain amount of benefits.

They sat on the wharf with a big basket in front of them, and the old ladies were to divide ninety percent of the rice they had swept into the basket.

When you go out like that, you can still have half a bucket left, and the next day the family has food, if you save a little, with wild vegetables, make porridge and eat it for three or four days, there is no problem at all.

At this time, the two strongest barmen, one carrying two hundred and ten pounds of sacks, did not pant for breath, and followed the rhythm of the drum music, increasing the swing amplitude.